Ceremonials
by Unchanging Queen of Magyk
Summary: Ellie Corem and Charlotte Ryder appear in this short one-shot that takes place in the holidays before the sixth year. See them in a battle of a different kind, the battle of family expectations and finding love. Reviews are love! Prequel to FOF and WOW.


**Hey guys this is just something I wrote for my friend Charlotte or as you know her GirlWhoWonTheDoctorsHearts. Happy Birthday Charz! Well for yesterday which was when I intended to put this up.**

**Um this is set during the holidays before sixth year and um it's your usual characters, Ellie and Charlotte. You don't really need to know much except from that they are best friends and Charlotte is with Fred and Ellie is with George.**

**As always I own them both and this storyline. J. owns Harry Potter. **

**Ceremonials**

_Ellie POV_

I sat with my back against the wall allowing the warmth from it to calm me. Eyes closed, fingers rubbing the corner of my letter from Hogwarts, I tried to put my mind at ease.

"You of all people should _not_ be worried about your O.W.L results." Charlotte sat down next to me.

"I'm not worried about my O.W.L results, they just happen to be in my hand." I retorted.

"Fine. What is it then?"

"Just boyfriend, stuff. I haven't seen him in a while." I shrugged. "I don't really want to bum you out."

"Oh alright fine but you're telling me later." She plucked the letter from my hand. "Do you mind?"

I shook my head and she opened it—I noticed that her grin was stupidly wide.

"It's good. It's really good." She held it over my face. "Read it."

All outstanding except from Ancient Runes which was exceeds expectations. I smiled at Charlotte, happy with the results. Butterflies were still fluttering in my stomach though as I could feel the hour of the party approaching.

_~Ceremonials~_

_Charlotte POV_

I pulled on my dress, a deep green one shoulder with short ruffles around my thighs and a long tail that fell to my ankles. My hair was curled and pinned back and my arms were adorned with my mother's expensive jewellery. I slipped on my silver heels and prepared myself mentally for what was about to happen. It was the most prestigious event of the year according to my mother, Sophia and Ellie's mother, Mella.

"Charlotte! Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah almost." I yelled down to mum. "Hey Frey what about you?" I crossed the hall to my sister's room.

"Almost there, can you help me with the zip?"

She was wearing a yellow flower dress that skimmed her knees. Her reddish-brown hair waved down her back and she looked just as cute and twee as mum liked her to be. I zipped up her dress and walked her down the stairs.

"Oh don't you two look lovely." Mum cooed from the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh I know I'm going to hate this." I muttered bitterly.

I didn't really want to spend time with a bunch of snobby rich people. I'd much rather go and see Fred who I hadn't spent a decent amount of time with since before my O.. Summer would be fun—the shop would open, the boys would be in a good mood and we could celebrate Ellie's birthday properly this year, just as long as I survived the party.

_~Ceremonials~_

_Ellie POV_

The event, the Aristocratic Family Alliance Ball, was boring. A bunch of my family members floating around like they were important or something, it was sickly.

"Hey." I heard Charlotte call from behind me.

"Hey." I turned around and smiled at her.

"Enjoying the party? It's for us you know." Charlotte teased.

"To welcome us as new members. Oh how wonderful." I said sarcastically.

I closed my eyes and leaned over the balcony. The need to see George was stronger than ever, he had been too busy to meet me at Kings Cross and our calendars had clashed ever since. It was worrying—I had never been that distant from him. And then to add to my growing frustration, my mother decided to drag me along to an AFA event. A bloody AFA event!

"What kind of world is it that we live in?" I whispered out to the buzzing city of London. "What kind of world."

Charlotte came and stood next to me, a dangerous smile on her lips. "We can blow it you know. Just leave the AFA behind and go spend a night on the town."

I shook my head at her. "No. I think we should go and spend the night with our two favourite Gryffindors."

Charlotte laughed. "What, Harry and Ron?" She joked.

I rolled my eyes. "No, the other two idiots who live in a flat above a shop. Oh and please never suggest we 'spend a night on the town' ever again."

_~Ceremonials~_

I collapsed on the ground and looked up at the stars. They were gorgeous, splattered across the night sky with beautiful symmetry. _Yeah but not as gorgeous as the person lying next to me._

"What are you thinking?" George turned and gave me a lazy smile.

"I'm thinking that I've made the choice. I hadn't made the choice until tonight but now I have I know it's final. These are the years that define us and I don't want to be the girl who got all the money or my mother's show and tell. I have the name but it's not me. I'm shaking the devil off of my back, ridding myself of the connection. I'm just taking each day as it comes."

"And if you get lost?" George teased gently, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"I won't get lost." I smiled, tracing a line along his palm. "I'm just following the heartlines on your hand."

**So, I hope you enjoyed my little one-shot. Yes there were references to two Florence and the Machine songs from Ceremonials hence the name. Please review, not for me but for the birthday girl, Charlotte. If you liked this then please read Flight of Fire and then Wave of Water.**

**Subscribe and REVIEW!**

**Ella Bells xx**


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